This invention relates generally to electric lamps and more particularly to electric head lamps for motor vehicles.
In prior vehicle halogen lamps, a halogen bulb has been supported in the enclosure of the lamp by apparatus including one or more support wires secured to mounting means which is attached to the base portion of the halogen bulb. This type of apparatus is used in the lamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,904 where the mounting means attached to the halogen bulb base portion consists of a sleeve-shaped cap made of metal sheet material.
The electric lamp of the present invention includes a reflector, a lens secured to the reflector to define an enclosure therebetween, and a bulb disposed in the enclosure. The bulb has an envelope portion containing a filament and a base portion. A pair of support wires support the bulb in the enclosure. Each support wire has a substantially U-shaped portion, and the base portion of the bulb is engaged in the substantially U-shaped portions of the support wires. Each support wire has a leg connected to the reflector. The bulb has a pair of lead wires connected to the filament and to the support wires. In one embodiment of the invention, the bulb base portion has grooves formed therein, and the legs of the U-shaped portions of the support wires are disposed to the grooves. In another embodiment, the bulb base portion has flat portions engaged between the legs of the U-shaped portions of the support wires, and each support wire has another leg in abutment with the bulb base portion.